Hiring Standards and Qualifications

Pilot study respondents demonstrate that teaching in a PPI in Taiwan is an easily accessible form of employment, not subject to high standards. Employment is perceived as being easy (Appendix A: 2.5), not physically demanding (Appendix A: 2.5), and not serious (Appendix A: 2.4). One respondent stated “it's a good start to teaching” (Appendix A: 2.2). This is reflected in responses about who is most likely to teach kindergarten; recent college graduates (Appendix A: 7.5, 5.1, 7.1, 7.2) and ‘twenty somethings’ (Appendix A: 7.2, 7.3, 8.11). Juxtaposing this perception are three responses discussing those not likely to teach; the highly educated (Appendix A: 8.5) accredited teachers (Appendix A: 8.7) and people over 40 (Appendix A: 8.11).

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Being young is seen as necessary due to the only perceived personal barrier to teach kindergarten:

energy.

82.5% of respondents claimed that teaching kindergarten is enabled by having a high amount of energy with a mean score of 1.61 (highly enabling) and standard deviations of just 1.19.

High energy requirement may not be limited to PPIs however, as two interviewees claimed, buxiban work was more taxing (Appendix C: Hugo, Mike).

Energy is however the only convincing perceived barrier. 57.5% stated it was necessary to be good with children (mean score 1.6 and standard deviation 1.19). And 58.75% said that teaching experience was not necessary to teach preschool in Taiwan (with 11.25% remaining neutral and 30% claiming it was necessary).

This trend is starkly demonstrated in the perceived hiring practices of interviewees. Every NEST interviewed stated they found a job within weeks of commencing a job hunt in Taiwan, many within days. “40 minutes after arriving in Taiwan, I got on TEALIT (a known ESL website) and had a job (Appendix C: John)”. Several of the NESTs claimed their first employers vetting process consisted of a single interview (Appendix C: Rachel, Gregory, Hugo, Kyle, Mike, John, Anton). Qualification and work experience were not perceived as barriers by any of the interviewees. The sentiments hovered around experience and qualification as being helpful, but not necessary (Appendix C: Kyle, John, Anton, Rachel, Nelson). Teacher Nelson stated that at his first job lied about his qualifications, but upon looking for his second, found it unnecessary (Appendix C: Nelson). This lack of standards is consistently seen as an enabler: “part of the appeal of teaching in Taiwan is it doesn't require any credentials” (Appendix C: Anton).

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In line with previous variables however, ESL work in general is perceived as easy to acquire, be it in PPIs or buxibans. Ease of access is not necessarily unique to PPIs

ESL jobs were often found through friends, internet ads, or recruiters. Interview respondents implied that their first buxiban jobs were often found on the internet (Appendix C:

Hugo, Mike, Rachel, John) and their PPI jobs through a friend in Taiwan (Appendix C: Hugo, Kyle, Michelle). Often it is a friend’s recommendation that motivates a NEST to move to Taiwan in the first place (Appendix C: Rachel, Kyle, John, Hugo, Nelson, Anton, Gregory). It is perceived that expatriates in Taiwan provide most job opportunities in Taiwan. “You go to Revolver (a local expatriate bar) and ask around, someone will recommend you a job”

(Appendix C: Rachel).

PPIs (and likely buxibans) in Taiwan are also perceived as being equipped to handle inexperienced NESTs. The largest two employers of NESTs in Taiwan, were the first to hire many interviewed here (Appendix C: Hugo, Kyle, Anton, Gregory) and have mechanisms for training in place. Three interviewees suggested that due to a high turnover rate, and hiring a lot of inexperienced teachers, their curriculum was adjusted to accommodate for inexperience (Appendix C: Gregory, Hugo, Anton). Limited training programs were also provided to NESTs (Appendix C: Hugo, Anton, Gregory, Jim) in the form of classes (Appendix C: Anton, Gregory), or by simply shadowing more experienced NESTs (Appendix C: Hugo, Jim, Nelson); but were often seen as ineffective (Appendix C: Anton, Gregory).

NESTs in Taiwan muse upon the extent to which their student’s parents are cognizant of their inexperience and lack of qualification. As demonstrated in the subjective norm section, many respondents feel parents are apathetic, but are limited in their exposure to parents. One telling response in regards to qualification and experiences sheds more light “They blatantly lie

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and deceive parents, either through misleading or omission” (Appendix C: Gregory) about his qualifications. Two teachers responded that they would be very surprised if parents were completely oblivious (Appendix C: Hugo, Anton) citing their parent’s high education levels. “I’d be really surprised if parents were totally ignorant… (they must think) this is just a 25 year old kid from the US who came to teach in Taiwan” (Appendix C: Anton). Teacher John stated that a previous PPI would show off his credentials to the parents, but that he received no benefit (in terms of wage or authority) because of it (Appendix C: John).

To an extent, being qualified is itself a barrier to teaching in a PPI in Taiwan. Both certified NESTs Rachel and John, stopped teaching in PPIs because of perceived abuses and developmentally inappropriate practices (Appendix C: Rachel, John). Furthermore it was argued that the wage ceiling and legal implications of teaching at the ‘young learners’ age, drives certified teachers into schools where they can teach legally (Appendix C: Rachel, Gregory, and Hugo). Or as suggested in the literature review, certified NESTs can find jobs in their home countries or Taiwanese public schools, where there is a dearth of language professionals (Jeon &

Lee, 2006). Survey results were neutral on the matter (a mean of 4.25 neutral) with 33.8% saying qualified teachers were likely and 33.8% were unlikely to teach kindergarten in Taiwan with a standard deviation of 1.76.

In sum, qualification and experience are clearly not a perceived barrier to Teaching English in a PPI in Taiwan. John said a joke floated around his former school “Did we show up on Time? Yes. Are we white? Yes. Ok let’s go teach!”(Appendix C: John). In reality the biggest perceived enabler to teaching English anywhere in Taiwan, but particularly in PPIs is likely race.

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